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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3959 Engrossed in Senate (ES)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3959

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

 
To require the Transportation Security Administration to streamline the 
  enrollment processes for individuals applying for a Transportation 
    Security Administration security threat assessment for certain 
programs, including the Transportation Worker Identification Credential 
 and Hazardous Materials Endorsement Threat Assessment programs of the 
                Administration, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Transportation Security Screening 
Modernization Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration.
            (2) HAZMAT endorsement.--The term ``HAZMAT Endorsement'' 
        means the Hazardous Materials Endorsement Threat Assessment 
        program authorized under section 5103a of title 49, United 
        States Code.
            (3) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several 
        States, the District of Columbia, and the territories and 
        possessions of the United States.
            (4) TSA.--The term ``TSA'' means the Transportation 
        Security Administration.
            (5) TWIC.--The term ``TWIC'' means the Transportation 
        Worker Identification Credential authorized under section 70105 
        of title 46, United States Code.

SEC. 3. STREAMLINING OF APPLICATIONS FOR CERTAIN SECURITY THREAT 
              ASSESSMENT PROGRAMS OF THE TRANSPORTATION SECURITY 
              ADMINISTRATION.

    (a) Streamlining.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall take such 
        actions as are necessary, including issuance of an interim 
        final rule if needed, to streamline the procedures for 
        individuals applying for or renewing enrollment in more than 
        one TSA security threat assessment program, in particular, the 
        TWIC and HAZMAT Endorsement programs, and any other 
        credentialing programs as determined by the Administrator, by--
                    (A) permitting an individual to enroll at any TSA 
                authorized enrollment center once for a threat 
                assessment program endorsement and use the application, 
                including associated biometric and biographic data, as 
                well as information generated by TSA's vetting, for one 
                of such programs to enroll in any other of such 
                programs;
                    (B) permitting an individual to visit any TSA 
                authorized enrollment center and enroll in more than 
                one TSA security threat assessment program at the same 
                time for a fee that is less than the cumulative fee 
                that would otherwise be incurred for each such program 
                separately;
                    (C) permitting an individual to undergo a 
                streamlined and expeditious renewal process;
                    (D) aligning the expiration of an individual's 
                successful, valid eligibility determination with the 
                expiration of that individual's eligibility to 
                participate in subsequent TSA security threat 
                assessment programs to which the individual applies;
                    (E) providing to States the expiration dates for 
                each individual's TSA security threat assessment to 
                ensure a commercial driver's license of an individual 
                who holds a HAZMAT Endorsement does not indicate the 
                individual is authorized to transport hazardous 
                materials after the expiration date of the enrollment 
                of the individual in the HAZMAT Endorsement security 
                threat assessment program if such commercial driver's 
                license has an expiration date that is different from 
                the expiration date of such enrollment; and
                    (F) enrolling an individual in a subsequent TSA 
                security threat assessment program at the minimum cost 
                necessary for the TSA to cover printing, issuance, and 
                case management costs, costs associated with the 
                collection of any additional biometric and biographic 
                data in accordance with paragraph (3), and other costs 
                that are not duplicative.
            (2) State requirements for streamlining.--Not later than 6 
        months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the States 
        shall carry out the responsibilities of the States pursuant to 
        section 5103a of title 49, United States Code.
            (3) Special rule.--If an individual under this subsection 
        is at different times applying for or renewing enrollment in 
        more than one TSA security threat assessment program, such 
        individual may be required to revisit a TSA authorized 
        enrollment center for the collection of additional data, such 
        as biometrics, necessary for any such program that were not so 
        collected in connection with any other such program.
    (b) Publication.--The Administrator shall post on a publicly 
available website of the TSA information relating to the streamlining 
of the enrollment processes for individuals applying for more than one 
TSA security threat assessment program described in subsection (a).
    (c) Expedited Rulemaking.--Notwithstanding sections 551 through 559 
of title 5, United States Code, nothing in this section shall require 
notice and comment rulemaking, and to the extent it is necessary to add 
additional requirements for which limited rulemaking may be advisable, 
the Administrator shall implement such requirements through publication 
of an interim final rule.
    (d) Briefing.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall brief Congress on 
progress made toward the implementation of this section.

SEC. 4. ELIMINATING DUPLICATIVE COSTS.

    (a) Audit.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall audit 
the administration of the security threat assessment programs by the 
TSA and the States, including the TWIC and HAZMAT Endorsement programs.
    (b) Elements.--
            (1) TSA audit.--In conducting the audit of the TSA required 
        by subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall--
                    (A) identify any redundancies and duplications in 
                costs and administration of security threat assessment 
                programs that if eliminated would not impact national 
                security and any benefits of eliminating such 
                redundancies and duplications and improving the 
                experiences for individuals applying for or renewing 
                enrollment in more than one TSA security threat 
                assessment program;
                    (B) review the impacts of the implementation by the 
                TSA of recommendations from previous studies conducted 
                by the Comptroller General, including GAO-07-756 and 
                GAO-17-182, on increasing the efficiency and 
                effectiveness, and reducing costs, of processing 
                applications for enrollment and renewal in TSA security 
                threat assessment programs;
                    (C) review the findings of the assessment required 
                by section 1(b) of the Act entitled ``An Act to require 
                the Secretary of Homeland Security to prepare a 
                comprehensive security assessment of the transportation 
                security card program, and for other purposes'', 
                approved December 16, 2016 (46 U.S.C. 70105 note; 
                Public Law 114-278) and determine whether the TSA has 
                implemented any remedies to redundancies and 
                duplication identified by that assessment and whether 
                such implementation impacted national security;
                    (D) determine whether there are unique challenges 
                rural applicants have with accessing TSA security 
                threat assessment programs;
                    (E) assess the numbers and locations of enrollment 
                centers for meeting the needs of such programs, 
                including determining the access provided to rural 
                applicants;
                    (F) identify potential opportunities that exist to 
                improve the enrollment center operations of and 
                customer experience with such programs;
                    (G) identify potential opportunities to harmonize 
                the enrollment, vetting, and renewal processes of such 
                programs in which similar information is collected for 
                similar security threat assessment processes for 
                different vetted credentials while not impacting 
                national security;
                    (H) identify other ways the TSA can reduce the 
                costs of the TSA security threat assessment programs 
                while not impacting national security; and
                    (I) review the vetting, application, and enrollment 
                processes of each TSA security threat assessment 
                program.
            (2) State audit.--In conducting the audit of the States 
        required by subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall 
        review--
                    (A) the administration of the HAZMAT Endorsement 
                program by the States;
                    (B) methods by which the States could streamline 
                the HAZMAT Endorsement program; and
                    (C) any potential barriers States face 
                administering TSA security threat assessment programs 
                for individuals applying to TWIC and the HAZMAT 
                Endorsement program or individuals that already have a 
                TWIC credential.
    (c) Report and Recommendations.--Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the completion of the audit required by subsection (a), the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the 
Administrator, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 
of the Senate, and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
Representatives a report that includes--
            (1) a summary and analysis of the costs associated with the 
        operation and administration of each individual TSA security 
        threat assessment program;
            (2) a summary and analysis of the application and 
        enrollment costs associated with providing an individual 
        multiple credentials under TSA security threat assessment 
        programs;
            (3) an identification of any potential duplicative 
        processes associated with an applicant applying for, or the 
        vetting or enrollment by the TSA of an individual in, a 
        subsequent or multiple TSA security threat assessment programs;
            (4) a breakdown of costs borne by applicants for current 
        enrollment and renewal processes of such programs;
            (5) ways to improve access to such programs, including for 
        rural applicants;
            (6) any potential recommendations to the TSA for reducing 
        costs and streamlining the administration and operation of each 
        TSA security threat assessment program while not impacting 
        national security;
            (7) any potential recommendations for the TSA to administer 
        such programs in a way that would improve national security; 
        and
            (8) any potential recommendations for ways States can 
        improve their role in administering the HAZMAT Endorsement 
        program and streamline the application process or reduce costs 
        for individuals seeking multiple transportation security 
        credentials.
    (d) Implementation.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        the receipt of the report required by subsection (c), the 
        Administrator shall--
                    (A) implement the recommendations from such report;
                    (B) provide to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
                and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on 
                Homeland Security of the House of Representatives a 
                written notification detailing--
                            (i) the timeline for implementation of each 
                        recommendation from the report;
                            (ii) justifications for any implementation 
                        timeline lasting longer than 2 years; and
                            (iii) justifications for recommendations 
                        that the Administrator has declined to pursue 
                        or implement.
            (2) Briefings.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
        the receipt of the report required by subsection (c), and 
        annually thereafter until the date that the TSA has implemented 
        each recommendation made in such report, the Administrator 
        shall brief the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
        Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland 
        Security of the House of Representatives on the implementation 
        of recommendations from the report.

            Passed the Senate November 21 (legislative day, November 
      20), 2024.

            Attest:

                                                             Secretary.
118th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 3959

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

To require the Transportation Security Administration to streamline the 
  enrollment processes for individuals applying for a Transportation 
    Security Administration security threat assessment for certain 
programs, including the Transportation Worker Identification Credential 
 and Hazardous Materials Endorsement Threat Assessment programs of the 
                Administration, and for other purposes.
```